Ko Verzuu ADO Toys Houthandel Truck, circa 1940

Ko Verzuu was a former construction supervisor from Utrecht, led the Arbeid Door Onvolwaardigen (ADP) workshops. In addition, he designed the cars, building blocks, games and doll furniture that were hand-made by his team of patients. Verzuu tested the quality of his toys on his children. He immersed himself in art and architecture, with which he developed a strong preference for abstract lines and bright colors found in the 20s group, De Stijl. ADO toys, therefore, are curiously avant-garde, inspired by the great artists of the time. In 2012, they were on show as part of the “Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900–2000” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. The same year, the CODA Museum in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.